Religious Leaders Raise `Moral Voice' On Rowland Budget Proposals

April 11, 1997|By GERALD RENNER; Courant Religion Writer

Concerned that the governor's budget proposals will hit the poor the hardest, about 160 priests, ministers, rabbis and nuns throughout the state are raising what they call a ``moral voice'' of compassion.

They say Gov. John G. Rowland's budget proposals ``will only increase the pain and suffering of the poor. We cannot, we must not, balance a `leaner, meaner' budget on the backs of those who can least afford it.''

The religious leaders are appealing for public support in a full-page advertisement in The Courant on Sunday and Monday.

``Ever since the Connecticut Code of 1650, our state has had an unbroken history of government responsibility for providing for its poor. We are about to break that promise,'' the ad says.

``This is not a political thing -- not Republican or Democrat -- it is a moral thing. The state legislature should know we are watching,'' said Rabbi Herbert Brockman of Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden.

Brockman is one of the organizers of a group called the Connecticut Interfaith Budget Watch that was set up three weeks ago. The $5,000 for the placement of the advertisement for two days is being paid for by the individual signatories, who numbered 160 as of Thursday, Brockman said.

Among them are the Rev. Davida Crabtree, leader of the United Church of Christ in Connecticut; Auxiliary Bishop Peter A. Rosazza of the Catholic Archdiocese of Connecticut; leadership teams of the Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, and Sisters of St. Joseph; pastors of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox churches; and rabbis of various congregations.

They are asking congregations to observe ``Economic Justice Sabbath'' onthe weekend of April 18 to 20. Brockman said the group would lead a collective weekend fast to begin at noon next Friday on the steps of the state Capitol steps.

Many more signatures could be collected given time, Brockman said, but ``we felt a sense of urgency now that [the legislators] are in the process of voting.''

He said, ``We know they are involved in complicated discussions but we are saying this is also a moral document.''

Noting that the gap between rich and poor is increasing in Connecticut, the group says Connecticut residents ``pay less in taxes than do citizens in more than half the other states.''

* A more flexible policy of providing welfare, based on need, not on time frame.

* Fair access to public assistance for legal immigrants because they ``bear the same burden of taxes and service in our armed services as our citizenry.''

There were signs Thursday that legislators were prepared to reduce the size of the governor's proposed tax cut and increase spending.

The legislature's appropriations committee is proposing spending nearly $400 million more than Rowland originally proposed over the next two years. Rowland had said he could support spending about $200 million more than he first proposed, but the committee doubled that total.